Newman's re-election plan: smile more and say less

The Queensland Premier's strength is that he faces problems head on, but we can expect less combativeness and more beaming smiles from Campbell Newman as he attempts to reverse his recent fall in popularity, writes Chris O'Brien.

It was a simple question and a short answer.

Will Campbell Newman change his style?

"I'll be the way I've always been," he answered, "which has been about working for Queenslanders."

Why would Campbell Newman have to change his style? What happens when a Premier who led his party to the biggest election win in Australian history falls behind in the polls? How is that even possible after only two years?

This is the extraordinary scenario in Queensland confronting Campbell Newman, the highly popular Brisbane Lord Mayor who took the Liberal National Party to an almighty victory in the 2012 state election.

Under Mr Newman's leadership the LNP won 78 seats out of 89, banishing Labor to what everyone assumed would be at least two and probably three terms in opposition.

But recent polls have worried the government enough to start soul searching and pondering the imponderable - a loss in the election which is due in March next year.

The latest Newspoll put the ALP ahead of the LNP in both the primary and two-party-preferred result. And although Mr Newman is still preferred Premier over Labor's Annastacia Palaszczuk, the margin is slim, and his net satisfaction rating is well into negative territory.

Why?

Answering that question involves the sort of character analysis and amateur psychology that politicians are often subjected to, and it seems to boil down to this: what sort of leader is Campbell Newman, and how has he handled the transition from Brisbane city politics to state government?

For eight years, Mr Newman ran City Hall as "Can Do" Campbell, forging a reputation and a record for getting things done with no nonsense, not much opposition, and not even a lot of politics.

Naturally, when he moved to the state scene, the LNP was hoping he would achieve the same success, even if they had to accept that he would bring the same style of leadership.

If Can Do Campbell was going to lead the conservatives out of the political wilderness after 14 years in opposition, then perhaps they would have to deal with a more autocratic boss than is usual in a party room environment.

Victory followed - probably beyond the LNP's wildest dreams - and the Campbell Newman experiment was a resounding success.

But two things were different.

The first change was evident from the very start of the election campaign in 2012.

Mr Newman experienced fiercer - he would say more vicious - resistance from his political opponents than he had ever encountered at council level.

Labor knew it was up against a formidable challenger, and threw everything at him, and, perhaps more significantly, at his family. Those who know Mr Newman say that campaign affected him deeply. For even though he won handsomely, Mr Newman's introduction to the tougher world of state politics was a personally bitter experience.

There is little doubt that he carries now a strong and abiding scorn for his political opponents in general and the left in particular.

The second change from his council days was the value of what was at stake. The prize at state level was much more valuable, and the battle was unrelenting.

Under Mr Newman, the LNP had despatched Labor, but in government there were more opponents waiting.

Unions waged and continue to wage war against public service job cuts and proposed asset sales. So rather than being able to enjoy the fruits of electoral victory, Mr Newman has spent much of the past two years resenting the way Labor attacked him, and confronting new challenges from unions.

Now comes the character analysis. Because in addition to the challenges that came his way, it can be argued that Mr Newman sought others that could have waited for another term.

And that is what has led to a startling drop in his personal popularity.

Mr Newman's strength is that he faces problems head on. He himself reminded everyone of that recently when he praised his own performance in leading Brisbane and Queensland in times of natural disaster.

But by the same token, he will not suffer gladly anyone or anything he perceives as being contrary to his plan for the state.

If doctors are arguing about new contracts, Mr Newman tells them they can be replaced.

If judges are not handling cases to his satisfaction, Mr Newman demands they get out of their ivory towers.

And of course those comments make the headlines.

So although hospital waiting lists are cleared and trains run on time and new schools are built, the public also sees a combative Premier arguing with various groups.

It's a common complaint by governments that they cannot get their good news published.

The Queensland Government's supporters say it has a good message; that its achievements outweigh its shortcomings. But negative stories have a way of overwhelming good news, and with the next election only months away, Mr Newman's advisers appear to have come up with a simple new strategy: smile more and say less.

Mr Newman may say he'll be the way he's always been, but there is evidence already of the new technique.

The Premier is smiling more - positively beaming sometimes. His answers to controversial questions or provocative issues are getting shorter.

If that keeps up, there will be more Can Do and less cranky Campbell in the run-up to the election.

Stand by for the next poll result.

Chris O'Brien is the ABC's state political reporter in Queensland. View his full profile here.

big joe :

10 Jul 2014 7:20:26am

For once we agree Yank, I used to be a conservative but now that retirement is looming I have changed my opinion and intend to hop on the welfare wagon big time. Who cares that the socialists will send the country broke, I'll be gone by then.

tc21:

Rabbithole:

10 Jul 2014 8:40:03am

There is a very good reason Newman is smiling more and saying less. Its like an annoying repetitive election add on TV, all smiles and loaded propaganda, like a computer game.

It is the ultimate in arrogance, He has nothing positive to say or contribute, in fact he is the epitome of the classic LNPALP sell out. All he is done is fund toll roads for corporate mates, kill the Great Barrier Reef, install LNP stooges to the Supreme Court for 12 years of corrupt hell, sell public assets and increase profits from electricity and water and sewage, which of course is a ris in taxation across the board.

Look at the cancer rates in Queensland, 300% increase in 30 years. They mix up hormonal herbicides without a permit such as with GLORICIDE and use them absolutely anywhere and in all the food and of course ruining the drinking water and killing the Great Barrier Reef. The Condamine River is still bubbling away with methane and other gas byproducts. Salinity of farming land and desertification due to contaminated mine waters and aquifers is unregulated and unrestricted, the environment dept is just a website, same as the Ombudsman and CMC and police. Every department in Queensland should be disbanded, they are all pathetically corrupt and incompetent.

The ALP or LNP can't say anything about anything because all they have to offer is the same BS, its all bad. Whatever corporation that buys the election to form government in Queensland is always going to be bad, they do not represent the people at all, they represent corporate interests only.

They could not care less about the cancer rates, its all smiles from Newman. Cancer what cancer, smile away Mr Newman, perhaps in NSW like Captain Bligh your former disgraced college.

big joe :

FedUpExpress:

10 Jul 2014 8:19:14am

"Who cares that the socialists will send the country broke, I'll be gone by then."

The 'socialised' 'society' in Australia is probrably what got you to where you are in the first place.... Comfortable, and safe, and quite possibly not personally broke, a road or two nearby to drive on? A police station? A Hospital? A school?

big joe :

10 Jul 2014 8:50:20am

Hey guys, you got me all wrong, I'm with you comrades, you know, manning the barricades and singing the internationale, after all it's my grandchildren who will suffer not me, tax that middle class some more, drive the ultra rich from our shores and while they are at it take all the jobs they provide with them, we don't need it. Ahh, what a utopia it will be.

Jatz:

10 Jul 2014 9:31:23am

Don't worry big Joe, the right wing climate deniers stopping meaningful action will ensure that your grandchildren suffering will be complete. Enjoy the rest of you time on the planet knowing that you will be alright.

sjack:

Consider the size of the underclass of working poor, consider poor living standards and large wealth imbalances. Consider the cost of access to health care and higher education. Which social model seems to deliver better standards of living? Let me give you a hint, it's not the USA.

Despite your barely concealed sarcasm, comrade, it appears a more socialized democracy, as seen operating in Northern Europe, delivers better outcomes to the general population.

So why does it seem Australian society is being pushed more and more towards that of the USA and not that of northern Europe?

I'll give you another hint. It's not to make my life, your life or our grandchildren's life better.

Tom1:

havasay:

10 Jul 2014 5:28:18pm

Oh so that's the new tea party of Australia line - tax the wealthy appropriately and they will pull up stumps and go away somewhere else and we will have no jobs, boo hoo

That's the argument the right is going to use against the fact other nations do not have the excessive rent seeking by the corporate sector that we suffer here in Australia and they actually live better because of it.

Let's look at a comparable resource rich Scandinavian country as a comparison.

- Our Mining Super Profits tax was shot down by a combination of opportunistic tea party politicians and the rent seeking mining sector which is 85% foreign owned. It has so far raised a few hundred million and will be repealed by said tea party politicians before it can actually start raising significant revenue.

- Norway put in place a Mining Super Profits tax without much opposition and has directed that revenue into a specific Sovereign Fund and setup rules about how it can be used. Last year they took the maximum yearly withdrawal from the fund of 5% and built a hospital. This Sovereign Fund is thought to be the biggest in the world and is roughly equal to one years GDP in Norway (the equivalent if it were Australia would be $1.5 trillion). And in order to ensure that the Norwegian people get a fair share of their own resources the Norwegian government has a 20-25% stake in any mining company operations in Norway.

And guess what ? Mining companies are as eager to mine Norway's resources as they are ours.

Judy Bee:

10 Jul 2014 1:27:11pm

It is not anything to do with conservative vs nonconservative polemic. It is about ethics and integrity. And from day one, Campbell Newmann has misused his mandate. Currently spending millions advertising attempting to boost LNP stocks, and paid for by tax payers, and we are all very aware of the partisan nature of the advertising. It is a terrible waste of tax payers funds that also went to fund an interactive 'strong choices' web page, which was designed to justify selling assets. Costing millions.

Also tax payers fund the Deputy Premier's chartered jet while commercial flights are available. People are fed up.

Campbell Newmann has misused his mandate from the very beginning. He brought in a partisan team of auditors to justify the 'debt' rhetoric, the job cuts, and the advertising which attempts to persuade the electorate that the LNP needs to sell assets.

From the very beginning the Newmann Government has been beset with problems relating to 'jobs for mates', misbehaving and subsequently disgraced ministers, conflict with the conservative Medical and Legal professions, all acid coated with irrational responses from Newmann himself.

We all wanted better than this..and Anna Bligh's government was punished by voters for far less than this.

Voyage au bout de la nuit:

10 Jul 2014 1:57:08pm

JB, perhaps many Queenslanders (and WAs) are now seeing the real beneficiaries of their state and federal LNP governments. Prior to their elections Canberra and other states were demonised over the mining and carbon taxes. Then services (public servant employment) have been cut. This eventually translates to family, friends and neighbours. Now they see the budgets requiring more taxes but only the GST is on the table. The "heavy lifting" will be done by them and not the "Big Australians." Oh well, some are slower to see.

gbe:

Judy Bee:

10 Jul 2014 3:03:52pm

Well gbe, Labor governments have been punished for lesser misdemeanors. This current government is using tax payers funds to vindictively settle scores, and are unable to clearly define themselves without blaming the previous. Exaggeration, hypocrisy, and a worrying trend for dividing people into tribes who are either lifters or leaners, earners or learners. And never before have the Australian people been treated with such contempt.

Rabbithole:

Conservatives are not really conservative, Conservatives has gone full tilt and is now the new Right Wing. Who's the king of the right wing, its LNP stooges like Abbott and Newman.

Its funny that conservative now means, 2 x 13 year wars in the middle east, selling public assets to foreign corporations, paying for toll roads to be built and handed over to corporations to tax us, selling all public assets, fractional lending, bailing our multinational banks, foreign debt, perpetual debt repayments to the NWO, spending $100 million on dodgy search and rescues for US coverups without radar evidence.

As sure as day follows night the conservatives will all die of there self inflicted ignorance. I hope conservatives enjoy the fluoride in your water, the synthetic Estrogen (2,4-D) in your food , Genetically modified food, and the increasingly radioactive world, don't let it cause you cancer though. Cancer rates have increased 300%in 30 years thanks to 'conservative' governments sold out to foreign corporate interests that pay their propaganda bills.

Conservative Ignorance is bliss... until you've got cancer from believing everything the government says is good or you.

Jane:

10 Jul 2014 12:39:52pm

I think the polls are indicating otherwise fairly well. A parliament with 78 out of 89 seats staring down the barrel of being a one-term, loathed government is a measure of how poorly they are regarded right across the political spectrum.

Sir Trent Toogood:

Rabbithole:

10 Jul 2014 11:22:23am

Its the John Howard we shall never have a GST conservative style. Worked for him for 10 years, do one thing and say another. Classic...tell the voters what they want to hear but pass laws that corporations want to see.

Thats why corporations they pay the ALPLNP corporations fundraising isn't it? 100k donation to have a piece of legislation passed, isn't that the going rate?

There is no ombudsman, senate or ICAC here so i wouldn't know. The corporations have free rein once the ALPLNP all take money from the same big pot.

the yank:

Rhonda:

10 Jul 2014 6:15:15pm

Campbell Newman is Qld's version of Tony Abbott. Just like Tony Abbott, once elected, Newman set about breaking his pre-election promises. Labor copped an absolute thrashing over their part-privatization of Qld Rail which saw the voters deserting them in droves, mainly due to an active campaign by the LNP decrying such a move.

Now the hypocritical Newman has even bigger plans for privatization and he has waged an expensive campaign to promote it. This does not sit well with those Labor voters who protested against the Bligh government for doing far less. Nor does his promise to keep electricity prices down, when in the past year we have seen huge increases - and it has nothing to do with the Carbon 'Tax'.

As I recall, Tony Abbott stood side by side with Campbell Newman in his state election campaign, scaring everyone on the dire impact on families that the Carbon 'Tax' would cause. Now, we've seen Abbott inflicting his own pain on families with his unpopular Budget and Newman doing the same by allowing energy prices to increase way beyond any Carbon 'Tax' increase.

I also must point out that the claims written here that "hospital waiting lists are cleared" are only based on the information supplied by the government. The true facts don't support that claim.

JohnnoH:

10 Jul 2014 8:07:01pm

Dear Rhonda, Newman is a more extreme version of Bjelke-Petersen. It has amazed me that the special branch hasn't been reinstituted. But then again there are ordinary police walking around with cameras at rallies.

Forrest Gardener:

10 Jul 2014 7:23:50am

A bit melodramatic, but reasonably accurate. A very well placed little birdie tells me that there is a wave of good news announcements stockpiled for the election campaign, but that would surprise nobody.

And surely Labor can find somebody more sophisticated than the present opposition leader, even if it means changing to a leader who is not yet in the parliament. I know they only had a minibus load to choose from, but what a shocker.

GJA:

10 Jul 2014 9:26:14am

Is that the best strategy the Liberals have: pain for the years before calling an election, then handing out presents just ahead? The electorate are played for dopes. How about some actual leadership? This short-term crap is getting pretty old.

barsnax:

That has been the strategy for governments going to an election for decades.

Forrest is right. This LNP government is very poor but the alternatives are non existent. The Labor party has only 7 seats and nobody takes them seriously anymore.

There is a real possibility that PUP will win enough seats to become the next state opposition which would really put the cat amongst the pigeons considering the animosity between the LNP, particularly Newman and PUP.

JohnnoH:

JClare:

10 Jul 2014 7:24:23am

Newman won't get back in because he gave himself a nice big pay rise whilst expecting ordinary Queenslanders to wear the brunt of cuts. He backed discriminatory laws rather than taking the more logical step of increasing police numbers to effectively use existing laws against criminal behaviour. He is winding back the powers and institutions that protect the state from the terrible corruption that existed in previous eras. There are so many things that Queenslanders don't like that the LNP is doing that Newman smiling more and saying less won't make any difference.

Forrest Gardener:

graazt:

Eric:

10 Jul 2014 12:06:21pm

Wrong - Newman did not give himself a big pay increase. The salaries are determined by a separate body and were forced, legally, to bring the salaries back to the right place after they had been stalled by Bligh who tried to convince everybody she was sharing the pain.

His crack down on bikie gangs in now working - and everybody is pleased. The elite judiciary got their noses out of joint because an'outsider' was given the CJ role. You will be one very disappointed puppy when Newman easily wins the next election.

MD:

10 Jul 2014 9:12:07pm

Bligh's a villain for forswearing pay increases which are now at the "right" place because the legislators who succeeded her didn't legislate or amend the laws that "forced" them, "legally", to accept increases that they legislated to deny to the rest of the public service? Your explanation is fantastic, Eric. Literally. Do you believe yourself?

RStoni:

10 Jul 2014 7:26:36am

On two separate tv interviews recently, he described people concerned about the side effects of the proposed Bus and Train tunnel in Brisbane as "grubs" and "scum". He described those interested enough to spend their time to find out what was going on and to actually want to improve the proposal, as "grubs" and "scum".

Arrogance and hubris are in full control of Campbell Newman. The true man on full display.

Eric:

gbe:

10 Jul 2014 7:38:57am

Chris is the Campbell Newman popularity demise personal or can we attribute it to a general disenchantment in politicians of all persuasions.

And could it be if there is a return to Labor in Queensland the new Labor premier will just as easily fall foul of media and the electorate and this aimless political round about of changing governments to frighted to act should the opinion polls fall is now the Australian political future.

tc21:

10 Jul 2014 8:19:22am

Or it could be that the Australian public realise that the conservative liberals lied through their teeth to get into power, they fail at Government, they are malicious and negative and have no vision which will benefit ordinary Australians in the future.

Dazza:

Oaktree:

10 Jul 2014 8:37:13am

Hi gbe, I think you are right about the opinion polls driving our politicians. Oh for some moderate politicians who are capable of uniting the country and sending it forward; without steam-rolling the hapless voting public, while pouring money into the miners' capacious (and rapacious) laps.

Terry2:

10 Jul 2014 9:08:10am

gbe : I think Newman's problem was that he was portrayed as a Messiah even though he wasn't even in the Parliament and whilst he had a following in the South East corner he was unknown elsewhere in the state. He had a lot to live up to and hasn't performed particularly well.

The LNP used the privatisation issue against Labor and now they are using public money to soften up Queenslanders for a major sell off of publicly owned assets. That will not go well for the LNP.

Queenslanders have - possibly for the first time - realized that there is no Upper House in the state and none of the necessary review and restraints on a large majority government. I believe that this alone will see the LNP lose a lot of ground at the next election as Queenslanders demand an effective opposition.

barsnax:

10 Jul 2014 10:02:44am

You're right Terry2, Newman was touted as the next premier because most Queenslanders thought he did a good job as Lord Mayor of Brisbane. The LNP though was seething at having to put him in. I don't think deputy premier Jeff Seeney will be to sorry if Newman loses his seat of Ashgrove.

While I don't think the LNP will lose the election, there's a good chance Newman will go.

Newman seems to be a petulant and vengeful person, a trait common in conservative leaders.

One example is he changed the law permitting union fees to be automatically deducted from government employees pay by the payroll departments, something that has been bipartisan for almost a 100 years. This is an unnecessary and churlish act done for no other reason than his personal dislike of unions.

That is one example, there are others. I for one would like to see the back of him.

JohnnoH:

10 Jul 2014 8:14:02pm

Dear gbe, if newman hadn't told so many lies (no public servant needs to fear for his job readily comes to mind), if he hadn't cut services to almost nothing, if he hadn't put electricty prices throught the roof, if hadn't pushed unemployment up to over 6%, if he hadn't been such an environmental vandal, if he hadn't reneged on the solar panels rebate, then maybe he might have some respect out in the community.

virgil:

10 Jul 2014 7:43:46am

I can't believe Chris O'Brien has quietly glossed over the LNP's major blunders, mainly centred on attorney general Jarrod Bleijie. Can Do's government has overcooked the bikie war, tried to interfere with sentencing and made some rather unusual judicial appointments. There is a strong smell of returning to a Joh-style police state in much of what they do, and an ICAC style inquiry would be sure to have some juicy leads to follow up in Queensland.

They started off on the wrong foot by aggressively sacking thousands of public servants & it has all gone downhill from there.

A new smiling Can Do & a big PR exercise in the major media to try & involve people via a survey (how much did that cost?) is just lipstick on the pig.

Oaktree:

10 Jul 2014 9:29:07am

I don't agree with you Forrest. As a public servant, I worked untold hours of unpaid overtime over and above flex time, which I often could not take because of staffing issues. We worked flat chat one year and then found the manager had received a bonus for "managing with less", how we loved him!! Because of the requirement to make decisions under policy and legislation, the general public was often aggrieved and did not hesitate to make their feelings known, even when they understood the reasons they still let fly. With language difficulties of new immigrants and their culture I was threatened with my throat being cut, with rape, and with threats against my family. One day an alarm was accidentally sounded and the Police came in pointing guns everywhere. I stuck it for 10 years and then bailed out for the sake of my health. By then I had suffered long-term stress, had my gall bladder removed, needed to go onto blood pressure medication and was generally run down. My application for long service leave was refused on staffing grounds, so I walked out leaving my super plans in tatters, but retaining my sanity.

barsnax:

10 Jul 2014 10:25:41am

It's funny how the bonus system works isn't it. In my industry higher bonuses are paid to managers if sick leave and lost time work injuries are kept below a certain percentage therefore all emphasis is placed on this.

You can go a whole year without having a smash or an incident (I'm a bus driver) saving the company thousands of dollars and get no recognition but go a year without taking a sick day and you get a $400 bonus, a pittance compared to what the managers get.

Forrest Gardener:

Zany:

11 Jul 2014 4:41:26am

Forrest you haven't got a clue as to who runs the state. Public servants dedicate their lives to just that public service like school teachers , police, firemen etc cut these by 50 percent and see what you get. We want to build this state not tear it down. Besides you wouldn't get anywhere without regulation and rules it would be a rogue state with every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost. It's idiots like you that tear this state down.

clete:

10 Jul 2014 8:49:20am

"..has overcooked the bikie war"

My understanding is the policy is already having a positive effect on destabilising Queensland's behind the scenes crime and corruption activities. If so, well done, Campbell.The Chief Justice appointment needs to run it's course, before accusations of incompetence can be considered. For goodness sake, give the man a chance.The Qld legal fraternity is a very sheltered, pampered and often closed minded community, that doesn't like to see someone outside their little inner circle of puffed up Prima Donnas being promoted ahead of themselves. Time will tell.

garybenno:

10 Jul 2014 11:28:39am

"My understanding is the policy is already having a positive effect on destabilising Queensland's behind the scenes crime and corruption activities" One thing Can Do is good at is eliminating his competition.

virgil:

10 Jul 2014 12:28:10pm

Clete, publicly available crime statistics from the mypolice website clearly show there has been little change in the number of offences (yes those normally associated with bikies) since these heavy handed laws were introduced.

The problem with the appointment of the chief justice is not his competence or not but the process.

Forrest Gardener:

MD:

10 Jul 2014 9:21:57pm

Does that always work, FG? Cutting personnel by 50% seems ridiculously simple. Would it work for the ADF, do you think? The PM has dedicated himself to the proposition that military spending should be 2% of GDP, while yours could halve that. That'd be champion, mate.

Sunshine:

10 Jul 2014 8:05:23am

You know Campbell Newman is in trouble when he holds press conferences to remind people how he singlehandedly saved Queensland from a host of natural disasters.You would have to think that comment was prompted by restiveness in his parliamentary ranks. Is Tim Nichols looking like a threat, Mr Newman?Campbell Newman was always going to have a difficult transition to state politics. He was a directly elected mayor - almost presidential. That is rather different from a caucus style state leader. He was probably never that popular amongst his colleagues for the way he arrived on the state scene.The other problem is that he seems to believe his own publicity and makes quite silly judgement calls notably in conjunction with his talent-free attorney general. It will be an interesting run to the next election.

jk22:

10 Jul 2014 8:28:59am

Well done Campbell.Of course he has an agenda. One which I generally espouse too. The Libs have the savvy. I'm not saying they are above the law but for me NOW I am grateful for a crowd of guys and gals who have an informed and well honed sense of what is sound management and fiscal practice.Labour had fine motives, and other things of course, but for me too much was weakened by so much.Bending with the wind is real and wise, but not dropping off the vine. Polls are temporary and reactive. It is profoundly unwise to wed the mob mentality, although not to take not of it is also unwise.Onya Campbell.

Sunshine:

10 Jul 2014 8:53:50am

jk22, it seems to me that you are probably not a resident of Queensland.If you were, I doubt you would be saying these guys were savvy and employed sound management practice.Unlike many Queenslanders, I don't mind mind much of the fiscal side of the government's agenda. Reduction in public service numbers and privatisation propositions are long overdue.It is other areas of policy that are bizarre. Fights with the judiciary over inappropriate laws and appointments; changes to anti corruption watchdogs; a steamroller approach to development and damn the consequences; shooting from the hip policies with little attempt to even pretend there is an evidence base and the list goes on.This is not what one expects from savvy managers. On that count this government is a miserable failure.And given restiveness in its ranks and concern for their own seats (constantly looking over the shoulder at Palmer for example) I don't expect to see a decent policy agenda emerge any time soon.

clete:

10 Jul 2014 8:38:46am

Newman is getting good results for Queensland. Making actual progress, and delivering on his election promises.Labor almost turned Queensland into an oversized Tasmania.Any reformist new government faces a few bumps along the way, but the electoral realists will see that the alternative doesn't bear thinking about.

Morestone:

10 Jul 2014 10:01:35am

Like Abbott, the powerbrokers behind Newman seem to be rooted in the glorious past when wool was king. Remains to be seen how such old school thinking will guide our states and country in a rapidly changing world.

James:

10 Jul 2014 11:11:49am

A not very well kept secret is that Newman wasn't supposed to become Premier. The LNP was always going to win the election but they never expected him to win Ashgrove. In fact he was trailing in Ashgrove until about 10 days before the poll.

Grant of Brisbane:

10 Jul 2014 9:30:21am

The dismal polls are entirely his own fault. Newman lied his way into office and started breaking election promises pretty much on his first day in the job. After the drubbing at the Redcliffe by election he promised to listen more, but didn't.

Queensland has just suffered a $6 million propaganda campaign called "Strong Choices" asking us whether we wanted to raise taxes, cut services or sell assets to fix the budget. The consultation process showed overwhelming support for raising taxes on the mining and gambling industries and overwhelming opposition to asset sales. The result? The Newman government ignored the consultation process and is pushing ahead with asset sales.

Sir Trent Toogood:

hungryghost:

10 Jul 2014 9:31:40am

Waitlists are certainly not cleared! Can-Do Campbell seems more interested in feathering his own (and all the other politician's who share his views) nest when he sacked thousands of Public Servants so he could give themselves a pay rise! Not to mention the Royalties for Regions Rort - where the regions generating the royalties get barely anything back and regions generating NOTHING get the vast majority! They are more interested in the regions with more people to buy their votes with new infrastructure etc, and damn the regional centres because we don't have the population so our voice doesn't seem to count!

Not that I am saying Labor is better in everything, but there should definitely be more of a choice than this! Labor who does nothing or Liberal who does all the wrong things! I am certainly disillusioned by it all. I will be researching this coming election to make sure who I vote for doesn't give their preferences to EITHER of the major parties.

When the election propaganda comes around all they will get out of me is a finger pointing at the proverbial door.

hungryghost:

10 Jul 2014 10:44:23am

Yes, the health system is a joke, and now they claim to be clearing up how Nurses are paid - well I certainly hope they asked the Nurses about this first! What's the hidden agenda? There is always a hidden agenda no matter what side of politics you are on.

Nurses are some of the most important people in this country, or any country! If they stuff up how they are paid (lets not forget the huge pay scandal a few years ago) can we really expect the nurses (who regularly work long hours) not to jump up and down? Quality of care could be compromised. Also, what about the Doctors contracts scandal?

This Government really needs to take a look at how it treats its health staff, before we get treated by this mangled health system in a like manner.

ephemeral:

Jim:

10 Jul 2014 9:44:15am

Campbell Newman is doing a fantastic job doing what he was elected to do, clean up Labor's mess. The noisy leftie luvvies are having trouble accepting this. The polls are just the luvvies having a tanty. When it comes to the election, the voters will remember the mess left by Labor and vote accordingly. Labor will be in opposition for at least 3 terms while the Newman government gets on with the job.

barsnax:

10 Jul 2014 11:21:38am

The LNP may retain power for 3 terms but I doubt Newman will remain as premier. He'll be lucky if he lasts this term. He did what the LNP required him to do and now he's just making a mess. Jeff Seeney will be Queensland's next premier.

Sir Trent Toogood:

JohnnoH:

10 Jul 2014 9:49:05am

This is the man who said no public servant needs to fear for his job 16,000 public servants and god knows how many ancillary staff later hence the state with the highest unemployment rate on the mainland, this is the man who put electricity prices up by 51% over the past 3 years, This is the man who brought in laws that 3 or more people meeting and if another parts "suspects" them of doing sometjing unlawful it would be up to the accused of proving themselves innocent (aka bikie laws), this is the man heading the push to bump millions of cubic metres of toxic sludge in the Great Barrier Reef marine Park, this the man who has delivered 3 straight deficit budget and the 2nd was one of the biggest in Queensland history. This is the man that ripped $1B+ out of the child protection agency and tried to make himself look good by putting $440M back this year. Yep he is a great man of the people.

Sir Trent Toogood:

LTaylor:

10 Jul 2014 9:54:12am

The word that is blatantly missing from this article and its comments is "correction".

The major factor of the record-breaking LNP win at the last state election was punishing the Bligh government for embarking on a massive program of asset sales after promising not to do so. Numerous polls both before and after the election showed this.

At any subsequent election most of the voters who opted to send this message would return to their normal voting pattern, which in Queensland has been Labor for a long time now. Not to say that I expect them to win the next election, but I believe that the vote will be much closer to historical norms.

Grant of Brisbane:

Prior to the last election, the local LNP candidate (now MP) ran a campaign of "stop Labor's asset sales" and Newman himself promised no more asset sales without a mandate at the next election.

Since the election, the Newman government has sold $11 billion worth of assets after promising not to. Not included in this figure is the forced transfer of ownership of Queensland Motorways to the Queensland Investment Corporation (wholly government owned), technically not a "sale" as such, which QIC then sold to the private sector for $7 billion.

The Bligh government was punished for selling $15 billion worth of assets without a mandate. The Newman government has, by one means or another, transferred $18 billion worth of public assets to the private sector without a mandate.

Forrest Gardener:

Brad:

10 Jul 2014 9:56:09am

What this article fails to mention is that Campbell Newman has a bigger challenge than getting his government re-elected, that is getting himself re-elected. He holds the seat of Ashgrove by just 6%. Even if the statewide swing was just half of the 12-14% indicated by the latest polls, Newman would still lose his own seat. All the polls for at least a year suggest Newman is gone whatever the outcome of a general election. What the LNP has to tell the voters is who would be Premier in the highly likely event the LNP retains government (probably with a significantly reduced majority) and Newman loses Ashgrove.

Erica Betts (the real one):

10 Jul 2014 10:01:52am

Telling lies to Queenslanders doesn't help Campbell Newman either. Currently the LNP is running a scare campaign about public debt, which has been put at $80 billion. What the LNP isn't saying is that more than half the debt is owned by government bodies such as Queensland Rail.

Mike:

10 Jul 2014 10:21:57am

Not quite true. About half the borrowings (not debt) are by government owned corporations. Queensland Rail is no longer a government owned corporation, it is now a statutory authority so its assets and liabilities are part of the government as a whole.

It is correct that Queensland has about $80 billion in debt, but that is gross debt not net debt. Queensland Treasury has slightly over $79 billion in borrowings (gross debt), some of which are long term bonds which do not need to be repaid for 30 years. But it also has more than $112 billion in financial assets, mainly cash in managed funds, and holds around $250 billion worth of undeveloped Crown land as surety against borrowings. In other words Queensland's assets far exceed liabilities, therefore it has no net debt. Queensland Treasury's own investor booklet says so. The word "debt" is thrown around by the LNP without stating the difference between gross debt and net debt.

Put it this way, if you had a $79,000 loan but had $112,000 in a managed fund and a $250,000 block of land, you would not be "in debt". Indeed you could quite rightly sue somebody for defamation for saying you were.

garybenno:

10 Jul 2014 11:08:04am

Conservatism in Australia is an absolute crock, they are to a man a bunch of two faced double speaking mishandlers of the truth. They must think the Australian voters are as dumb as sheep (I have some serious doubts as well) Even the dumbest sheep will eventually sniff out a scam and I think the voters noses have begun to twitch, the stench of dishonesty permeates through the communities of WA, QLD, NSW and Victoria. The South Australians were smart enough to give Labor a flogging but not enough to give the Lib/Nats a crack.

AS:

10 Jul 2014 11:38:48am

CanDo has missed the fundamental of governing a State, which is entirely different to Council or a large developer organisation. Ironically it is also the same way Mr Palmer thinks one governs a Country.

Government needs a 'soul' that the abovementioned do not seem to have and therefore manifest the behaviour described by Chris O'Brien.

Jaydee:

10 Jul 2014 12:14:04pm

Up till now I think we have been as dumb as sheep garybenno. It seems our voting patterns are a reaction to what is "bad" without thinkng if the altrernative is actually better. We are so lacking in true leaders that we just end up with the same result just wearing a different coat. Unfortunately because of their own self importance those who then get voted in really believe there own publicity and think they have a mandate to fill their boots while screwing us over.

Hopefully we are the ones who will get smarter and demand more of these ego maniacs who would be better suited to a reality TV show that a repsonsible position in governemt.

Amethyst:

Skeptic:

10 Jul 2014 1:30:15pm

The problem with the LNP as I see it that that they spent time in the political wilderness because of nepotism and corruption, but did not learn anything from this punishment. Almost immediately upon being voted back in they were up to their old tricks of jobs-for-the-boys and making policy based on which lobbyist gave them the largest donation. I am just surprised that it took so long for Labor to overtake them as 'most favoured' in the opinion polls. Although the Redcliff by-election should have been a bit of a hit as to how much on the nose the LNP was with the average voter! I don't expect that this situation will improve for them anytime soon. Perhaps there are some who remember the bad old days of the Joh era. Maybe there is some hope after all.

Joanne:

10 Jul 2014 1:32:01pm

I'm not amused by the LNP using taxpayers funds to shove a pseudo style election campaign onto unsuspecting voters by way of their current TV campaign of how they are acting in the best interests of Queenslanders, when at the same time they bag the ALP. To me it's a campaign trick. See it for what it is people. Newmann has sacked so many workers, sold off assets at Huge losses, what do you think that has done for us?People need jobs, the economy needs money to keep the wheels turning. It's all smoke and mirrors. time we wised up Queensland. We have seen some pretty amazing allegations of various parliamentarians of late, what's happening with that?There is an agenda going on here and we need good media to find out what it is. We saw protests in the US recently about sale of assets and Multinational Corporations interests, but it barely rated a mention here.The coming election should hopefully give us back proper democracy, we need good leadership and a Senate in Queensland, and someone with enough intestinal fortitude to put it on the table.

jassycat:

10 Jul 2014 4:36:45pm

Chris O'Brien says nothing about the fact the Newman governs for the big corporations rather than the people, and is prepared to help them pursue the dollar no matter what damage they do to the environment in the process.

GrumpiSkeptic:

10 Jul 2014 4:50:06pm

How is it possible for Mr. Newman to throw away so much of his lead, so soon after his landslide electoral win? Well, There are many. He can take comfort by the fact that he is not alone. Mr. Abbott wither away so much of his popularity in even shorter duration. Mr. Colin Barnett over the West is not exactly the darling of the voters he once was.

It is so true that when you are dealing with a smaller domain like Brisbane, things are so much easier to resolve as there are less problems to begin with, and probably much less chiefs. Now on a state level, there are many chiefs and far more prickly issues to deal with. Being the mayor, you are the king of the castle, albeit just a little one. Now he has a kingdom with many potentially grumpy knights all wanting to have a stab at you if you turn your back !

At a state level, there are interwoven political groups. The "can do" and "charge forward" attitude Newman is used to while in the arm forces will not work as well. The "Yes, Sir!" "No, Sir!" clear-cut approaches will not be applicable.

Now his "crash-through' attitude is coming back to bite him. The recent mess regarding the appointment of a judge is a clear case in point.

Smile more, and open his mouth less? Can a leopard change its spots?

What is happening to the current crop of LNP governments reminds me of the Howard government in its final term. It got carried away with its majority and attempted to dump the "Work Choices" on the lower paid folks.

havasay:

"So although hospital waiting lists are cleared and trains run on time and new schools are built, the public also sees a combative Premier arguing with various groups."

I don't think anyone could go from the biggest landslide win in Australian political history to a possible loss in less than 2 years because they are seen "arguing with various groups"

Newman's drubbing or even demise at the next election would be due to the fact that he, like his federal compadre's, is a hyper right wing tea party ideologue who wants Australia to become a "dog eat dog society in a rust bucket economy".

The writer can cast aspersions on the good political sense of our northern cousins with this mightily shallow analysis, I on the other hand have a lot of faith in the people who were the first in the world to elect a Labour government back in 1899.

Chillax69:

10 Jul 2014 6:11:24pm

Can't say much for the current state of play in Queensland because I don't work there anymore, but many of my nursing colleagues have told me that Newman and Springborg have decimated morale and quality of care, and people are leaving in droves. Too late now to play Mr Nice Guy I would have thought. So much hope, but so little delivered.

Sidneysaid:

10 Jul 2014 6:22:07pm

Politicians of all persuasions are all the same, they tell you anything to get elected, do whatever they like once elected, scold the population and treat them with contempt for about 2+years then go quiet and change their rhetoric as they realise they have to go back to those useless and brain dead voters and seek another 3 years. The 'this is what we are doing so get used to it' is replaced by 'we have done these things with the best interest of voters in mind' Their actions are so predictable and condescending it is laughable.

aka Alias:

10 Jul 2014 7:08:35pm

Queenslanders get excited about a balloon on a stick but they do have a knack of remembering certain things (not all). Newman's chest-beating pronouncement, last weekend, that he bought us Queenslanders through the flood and cyclone will be long remembered as pathetic words from a pathetic little man.

whohasthefish:

11 Jul 2014 2:59:32am

Dead right 'aka Alias' Queenslanders do remember certain things and taking false credit for the good work of Queensland's Emergency Services and Volunteers is political death in this neck of the woods. What a show pony he actually is.

He is an upstart Tasmanian born of Liberal Party career political parents and as a result he has had his nose in the public money trough all his life. Sure he spent some time in the military but as a silver spoon officer cadet in true elitist traditions at Duntroon Military College. Entered the military at 18 and a Lieutenant by 22, certainly not a hard working grunt.

Parachuted into the Lord Mayors role with LNP backing and family money and repeated the trick to gain the Premiership. His success as Lord Mayor of Brisbane was entirely due to the very fact that he was surrounded by good councillors during an economic boom.

It is an indictment on the LNP in Qld that the conservatives up here could not come up with a suitable leader and had to parachute in a media darling of little substance. Springborg, Sweeney and the rest are not men of substance at all and everyone north of the Tweed knows this.

Like Abbott, Newman got elected on lies, lies and more lies backed by a dishonest LNP biased media. The Courier Mail is a joke. Queenslanders have woken up to this one trick pony government and I have no doubt will punish them at the ballot box.

JohnnoH:

10 Jul 2014 8:03:17pm

Polling suggest that the LNP may lose UP TO 40 seats (not necessarily) in the next Queensland state election. The majority of these seats would be through electoral correction (voters returning to their traditional heartland). Since this government came to power, unemployment in my electorate has risen from 5.4% to 12%.

Comment:

Gypsy Rose:

11 Jul 2014 7:19:03am

An indication of how this mob work is how community cabinets are now run. I attended one not long before the last election. It was held at a public school. The pollies mixed with the banner waving growls in the school grounds. Everyone was welcome in the school hall to listen to the pollies speak and questions were taken from the floor. Those that had appointments then got to see a minister one on one. The last one on here was held in a private school which was barricaded off. The police presence was huge. The banner waving crowds were relegated to out side the school grounds and were filmed by the police. Only those with appointments were allowed in after being frisked and passing a metal detector. The pollies entered by the back door.

Karma:

11 Jul 2014 8:26:12am

I am a Queenslander who has been 'living the dream'. Chris O'Briens article suggests Newman won his landslide victory...he didn't do it alone. There was a huge anti-Anna Bligh vote and a large 'we've had Labor for 10 years and we are sick of them' vote. I have no idea why Newman got re-elected at the BCC level - he was a farce then...he came in championing the need to build about 13 tunnels and bridges (madness), when elected built a few...that stuck us BCC ratepayers with $100Ms of dollars of debt..that my children will still be paying off in their lifetimes....and the infrastructure companies that ran the white elephants unsurprisingly all went broke. He treats so many with contempt...that our State has lurched from one train wreck to the next - months of threats of mass resignations by our most senior doctors running our hospitals, judges appalled by the choice of Chief Justice, politicisation of so many parts of our government that Tony Fitzgerald has requested the media leave him alone in his retirement he is so sick of telling the media how atrocious the decisions have been.....did I mention 300 million cubic metres of sludge being dumped in the middle of World Heritage Great Barrier Reef (how do you think tourist operators feel about that!) ...on and on and on. I have been so ashamed to have such a parochial, self serving leader.... If Queenslanders vote him back in because he smiles at them...you have every right to call us the biggest bunch of stupid, short sighted, morons in Australia! We will have earned that title! The real question is can Annastascia get her jobs message across in the media....if she does...she will win.....why. Newman had no competition last time around...this time he does! And she's won the 'ethical governance debate' by a mile...landslide....onto 'jobs'....and like so many other unemployed Queenslanders out there, I want one...all Newman has done is lengthen dole queues and make competition for jobs I want more fierce. Thanks for nothing!